I live in north-west Kansas and I caught a garter snake the other day and I have him in a temporary home until I get a tank. He's less than a foot long, and he seems to like sitting in his water dish. (Maybe he's a ribbon snake, I'm not sure...) I wanna feed him soon so I can set up a feeding schedual(sp?). So I have to ask, what is a good size tank, should I get a heat lamp/rock, what humidity should keep it, can I use durt as terrain, and what do I feed him?
2007-05-03 04:46:50 · 7 answers · asked by Damian 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
A ten gallon tank will do it, you should at least get a heat lamp (a UV or a full spectrum bulb is best), I take it you already have a water dish big enough for it to get into (garter snakes live water and like sitting in it and swimming, it would be a good idea to get a heat rock or pad as well, give it a hide box or log or something it can get in to cool off and hide, giving it some plant that it can climb on is also a good idea, as far as feeding I recomend crickets, just put a few live ones in with him and he will eat when he is hungry, enjoy your snake
2007-05-03 05:24:28 · answer #1 · answered by Han Solo 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would actually call a vet for specifics. I would be carefull about heating rocks, I have seen some reptiles get really bad burns from them. The rocks got to hot while the animal was on them, ouch, instead try heating lanps over a regular flat rock you find outside so you can adjust its height to vary the temperature. If he is a native snake to where you live then the humidity of the area you live in should be fine, no need to do anything special there. I would try a few things for feeding, probably frozen pinky mice at first (I personally won't feed live food, just me) see how it does with that. I don't know about using dirt for your terrain as you do have to clean it to keep the snake healthy. but I would add a few sticks and make a pile of rocks with an opening and a hiding place for the snake so it feels more secure.
2007-05-03 05:01:59 · answer #2 · answered by Okino 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
http://www.petco.com/caresheets/snakes/Snake_Garter.pdf
this is a care sheet on garter snakes. but also they need a 20-30 gallon tank, maybe even smaller, they eat fish, mice, lizards, almost anything they can get their mouth around. and you could choose a bedding. make sure it is suitable for snakes though because some beddings can be toxic to snakes. you have to get a heat lamp, an heat pad (sticks on the bottom, and a thermometer. those are musts if you want your snak to live. do not buy heat rocks because your snake can get fataly burned. every 2-3 days spray the tanks with a spritzer, using water, to keep the humidity regular. when they are about to shed, keep humidity higher, by spritzing every day.
2007-05-03 04:56:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
hey a 10 gal will work fine under tank heat large water dish a hide and decor if u wish now what to feed them rosyreds and baby mice will do great
2007-05-03 08:24:14 · answer #4 · answered by josh h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello and Please just let the snake go..native, wild creatures should be left to be free, snakes do not need parents for their care..if you want a reptile, go to a reputable,reptile store that deals in captive bred reptiles ONLY & purchase them..please..treat critters as you would want to be treated, you would not want to be caught & caged ... not too mention wild caught can carry diseases contagious to humans & your other pets ... with sometimes deadly results...Take Care :)
2007-05-03 07:09:29 · answer #5 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They like to eat worms and gold fish
2007-05-03 10:19:12 · answer #6 · answered by Jesse E 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask someone at your pet store, like Petco.
2007-05-03 04:51:28 · answer #7 · answered by luckford2004 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋